#my other items in shop are also available with some items also on sale for the intended spring sale in march/april that i guess is now...

[coffee-cait]

I wanted to reopen 5h0p once my doc cleared me for a full recovery and have a spring sale when I could be fully back. However, in light of recent events, we're back and all niji merch is being sold at loss and discontinued. temp close March 17th 10pm EST and reopen early April.

As noted on the Info page I have a Shu charm that was sent for production prior to everything unfolding and am waiting for it to arrive. After they arrive and I've assessed them for quality they will be going up on the shop at a loss. Above is the design in question.

Package sending time has been extended to 'within two weeks of purchase'. I will still try my best to maintain packages mailed out within a week of purchase. However since I'm still not completely recovered from last year's illness I wanted to account for scenarios where I'll need time to heal up a bit before I can resume shipping or can make arrangements for an alternative drop off solution. Also we are unable to send orders to Europe or countries listed on Canada's service restrictions at this time. We're sorry for the inconvenience.

Also as discovered during the shop soft launch, if you experience any issues with Paypal don't hesitate to use our Contact page and we will do whatever we can to try and find a solution.

[mayakern]

we have a BUNCH of clearance designs available in size D (roughly 5-8X), some for as cheap as $20-25 USD!

this stuff is all on SUPER clearance to help us sell as much inventory as possible before we move! everything is ethically made, comfortable, and cute!

as a tiny indie brand that focuses on providing ethically made clothing in a wide range of sizes, we usually cannot afford to sell things this cheaply (some things have been discounted at or below what it costs us to make them), but because we are preparing to ship any leftover inventory across the country, right now buying a clearance sale item is the best way you can support us, while also snagging a great deal!

we also have these wrap tops available in sizes 5X and 6X

[etraytin]

Emergency Preparedness On A Budget

Hey all, just a reminder that even though many of us are looking at a warmer-than-average winter this year, warm on average does not mean we won't see winter storms! In fact, warm winters can produce some really unusual weather patterns that are even more likely to produce severe storms. The best time to prepare for a winter storm, or any other natural disaster, is well before it happens, ie, right now.

"But wait," you might say, "the economy is stupid and everything is expensive! I'm afraid my survival bunker is just going to have to wait until my lottery numbers come up, which will take awhile because I also can't afford to play the lottery." First off, good job not playing the lottery, and second, preparing for a disaster does not have to be expensive. In fact, if you start early enough, disaster preparedness can be done a few dollars at a time without much of anything in the way of special supplies.

In order to not make a single post that is a billion lines long, I am dividing my advice into a few different posts and will link them together when I am done. The links will be right here: Part 2: Medicine and Power

Food and Water Preparedness

FIrst and most important: food and water. The motto of disaster preparedness is "The first 72 is on you." In a major disaster situation, if the situation has not resolved itself within three days, that's about the amount of time it takes for outside help to get itself organized and start arriving in a meaningful way to a disaster area. Objectively three days is a pretty short period of time, subjectively it is a small eternity if you are not prepared.

Preppers (people who do disaster preparedness as a hobby, to greater and lesser levels of unhingedness) spend a lot of time discussing the best types of food and water prep for long-term storage and/or end of the world scenarios. We are not going to do that. We want cheap, easy, effective preparations that we can ideally do while grocery shopping in a Walmart. The easiest, simplest and cheapest way to do your food prep is this: Buy one or two canned, jarred or tetrapacked (that waxed cardboard box pack) meal items every time you can afford it, then set them aside. Find a little space in a closet, a cupboard, a shelf, whatever, and just keep those foods there until you have three days worth for everyone in your household, including the pets.

"Fine," you might say as you look skeptically at the back of your cupboards, "but that doesn't seem very specific. There are a lot of canned goods out there!" And that is fair! The basic rule of thumb is "Buy something you will eat, ideally without heating it up if necessary, that doesn't require much prep or cleaning." For example, my family is two adults and one adolescent, none of us with major food allergens or aversions. If I were trying for a 72-hour food prep for us on the cheap with no cooking available I'd probably go with six cans of chunky soup, which I get for a dollar each on sale, three small jars of applesauce (smaller jars are better if you have no way to cool food), a box of saltine crackers, three cans of tuna, and a big box of granola bars if I could keep them out of reach of the kiddo long enough.

It's not fancy and it may not provide great long-term nutrition, but it's enough food to keep us alive for three days in a form that will hold in storage for 1-2 years without needing to rotate. Even on a very tight budget you can probably accumulate this much food in a pretty reasonable amount of time (and a lot of it is the sort of thing you might get from a food bank anyway!) For pet food, pack up three days worth of your pet's food, ideally in a glass jar but any sealed container will do, and add any cans of wet food they'd get as well.

Water is another big prepping topic that we're going to go easy-peasy on. You need, at minimum, a gallon of clean water per person per day, plus extra for cleaning and washing. Water is annoying to store and takes a lot of room, so for a quickie 3-day prep, minimizing water use is ideal. If you can scare up enough paper plates, cups and utensils to last you three days, you save ever having to wash dishes. If you can get hold of a pack of wet wipes, you reduce the amount of water for washing your body. If you can bring yourself to pee in the woods or at the very least let urine sit in the toilet unflushed, you save a HUGE amount of water on flushing.

For your water prep, you can use the bit-at-a-time strategy again. Every time you get groceries, try to bring home a gallon or two of purified drinking water. They should be very cheap, usually around 1.25 in my neck of the woods, and they last for awhile. If you have a few extra dollars, buy a flat of bottled water until you have at least three gallon containers and one 12-pack for each human member of your household Tuck them away somewhere out of direct sunlight, and rotate them regularly, taking out an old gallon and flat and replacing them with new every couple of months.

Once you have your basic setup, you can start thinking about getting fancier. There are ways to find things like camp stoves and water filters fairly cheaply, usually by hitting up garage sales or looking in the clearance sporting goods section when camping season is over, but that's basically gravy when compared to just having something to eat.

Next Time: Medicine and Power

[laughingbear]

May Shop Update! ✨🌟

✨ shop.laughingbear.us ✨

🌊 I got some new things up in store! Ocean Guys Charm Gacha, Bottle Cap Badges, and my new Captain Crab print are now available! You can find them all below~ My Collection of Crab prints are also now in stock, although I'm still waiting for their packaging to arrive-- so please note they'll likely ship later this month! https://shop.laughingbear.us/collections/new-items

🌟 Spring Cleaning Sale! I put a bunch of things up for sale over in this collection, to clear out some stock and put the spotlight on some others~ I also refound some older stock of some items and put them up! https://shop.laughingbear.us/collections/spring-cleanings

I think that's all, feel free to peruse everything and lmk if anyone has any questions!

[breelandwalker]

so, I know you've been vending at a lot of different craft fairs and witch markets for awhile now (sadly, too far away for me to attend!). would you happen to have any tips for someone looking to do the same at their local fairs? thanks!!!!!! ❤️

Sure! To start, brush up on three things - networking, recordkeeping, and people skills. Get an idea of what's going in on your area, talk to the organizers, see what the particulars are for the events. Here are some questions to ask:

What's the venue like? (indoors, outdoors, parking, accessibility)

Do I need to bring my own table and chairs?

Is there electricity / wifi available?

What is the table fee?

When is the event and how long does it run?

Is there a theme or target audience?

Is there advertising being done for the event? (Signal boost!)

Based on the answers you get, you can start putting your stock and setup together.

Do as much as you can WAY ahead of time. If you need to make things, start now. If you need to buy things, give yourself at least a month before an event to make sure everything arrives in time. Get yourself a 6-foot folding table and a comfortable folding chair or camp chair for events where they're not provided by the venue. Sign for Paypal, Venmo, and Cashapp as well as a card payment processing service like Square to give your customers the most payment options possible. And of course, plan to carry some small bills for cash patrons. (You don't need a register or cashbox, a simple bag of appropriate size will do. I literally use a pencil case that says Resting Witch Face. Works great.)

You'll want to get some displays for your merchandise. The type will vary depending on what you have, but it should be simply and sturdy and preferably easy to pack in and out. Vertical visibility is important at these events, so if you can find some kind of stand or tiered display, that will help you get noticed. I'd also suggest some simple clear plastic standups that you can put a printout price list and a basic sign in. A table banner helps people notice your table from afar and you should definitely have business cards to hand out with your shop info and socials. (I use Vistaprint for both.) Decorations are nice, but don't overload the table with them. They should augment your setup, not overwhelm it.

You may also want to get an 8x8 or 10x10 popup canopy and canopy weights if you plan to do outdoor events. Also, GET A COLLAPSIBLE WAGON. Best investment I ever made was a $45 collapsible wagon. It fits in my backseat and makes hauling things in and out of venues SO much easier.

Keep track of everything you spend related to your endeavors, including event fees, supplies, stock, setup items, displays, signage, business cards, and gas and food on the day. Keep those receipts - you can deduct them on your taxes later to offset your earnings. (Because registering as a business can be a pain and comes with fees, but if you don't do it, you may owe money for not collecting sales tax. Put aside some money for that tax bill, just in case.)

Prep your setup and stock the night before an event. Check your merch, charge your card reader (and bring a fully-charged auxiliary power pack and cord, just in case), make any updates to your inventory or pricing that you need to. It really cuts down on stress when you're loading up if you know you've already get everything set. I suggest reusable shopping bags or clear plastic bins to make things easy to haul, plus they can double as storage.

Plan to leave as early as you need to in order to account for traffic and pit stops. Pick an outfit ahead of time so you don't have to dither over clothes. It should be something appropriate for the event and the weather that looks neat and clean and is easy to move around in, including comfortable shoes. (Look to other vendors for examples.)

Make sure you bring water, snacks, and anything you'll need to get through the day, i.e. medicine (headache pills and stomach medicine at minimum), energy drinks, a fan for hot days, an extra layer for cold ones, etc. Get to the venue as early as the organizers allow. The more time you have to park, load in, and set up, the less stressed you'll be. Make sure things are arranged in a way that's accessible and makes sense. Place signage where necessary to explain items and pricing.

GO TO THE BATHROOM BEFORE THE EVENT BEGINS. TRUST ME.

During the event, you're gonna have to do a LOT of socializing, so prepare for that as best you can. Try to stand if possible when there's a lot of foot traffic so you're more noticeable. Be personable - you don't have to grin constantly, just try to keep a pleasant expression and greet people as they pass, especially if they look in your direction. Don't be afraid to invite passersby over if they pause to check out your setup. Welcome them in, invite them to check out your stuff, and let them know you're happy to answer questions. (And ALL questions are good questions. There are no dumb questions. Even if the question is the dumbest thing you've ever heard or it's the fifteenth time you've been asked that day.) Chat and banter a bit where possible. If you can get people smiling or laughing, they're more likely to stick around and possibly purchase your wares. Make sure as many people as possible take your card when they leave.

Yes, you will be exhausted when the event is over, even if you're a naturally outgoing person, and you'll still have to break everything down, haul it out, load your vehicle, and drive home. If you happen to have somebody who can help you out, that really comes in handy.

In any case, know your own capabilities and personal limits and plan for that when you're deciding where to vend. If a venue is too far away for your comfort or doesn't have what you need or the table fee is too high (be wary of any thing over $75 for a single day event), don't sign up. If an event is too long or too far outside your target audience, don't sign up. If you don't have an appropriate setup or don't have the stock / can't get it in time, don't sign up. If something about the event or the venue or the organizers rubs you the wrong way, DON'T SIGN UP. Talk to other local vendors to get an idea of where to go and what to expect. Most will tell you right away what works, what's good, and what to steer clear of.

This is all just the basics. You'll learn a lot more when you start to vend, as far as what your individual needs are, where to go to find reliable business, and how best to connect with local venues and customers. Keep records of everything you do (spreadsheets are your friend!), network with organizers and other vendors, and practice that sociable game face.

And trust me - if a disorganized introvert with social anxiety and ADHD and absolutely NO sales experience can figure out to do this, I think pretty much anyone has a chance.

Good luck!!!! 😁

[puzziepoppin]

i still refuse to watch pt 2 of the new szn but i’ve read just about everything that isn’t angst and it has my mind racingggg

(obviously all pre-morocco)

rafe with a spoiled brat would just be soo fulfilling for the both of them. he’d always be taking her out on shopping trips, swiping his card at every store, getting her everything she picks up. she’d probably throw a fit and tears would brim in her eyes when something she wants wouldn’t be available in her size, and of course rafe makes sure his spoiled baby gets what she wants some way or another wether it be hassling the sales associates or ordering it for her online and surprising her with it one day, wrapped up all pretty in a box. she’d be soo happy happy that rafe always found a way to make the impossible happen and give her what she wants.

but after every shopping trip full of spending money and trying on clothes rafe would always spoil her some more. after being teased for hours on end watching her try on skimpy skirts and lingerie his dick would have his boxers stained with pre-cum and he would have lost all of his self control. shopping bags still would be on the floor full of items when rafe pounced on her. of course, he would still spoil her eating her pussy until her legs were shaking and her juices were soaking the sheets, her thighs, and his face, but he had to get her back for all of the teasing and torture him and his dick endured all day long. once he was inside her he would bring her to the edge over and over again until she was begging for the release she had been chasing and tears were streaming from her eyes. rafe did this partially because of the power trip it gave him, being the only time he could say no to his girlfriend, but also because he knew if he heard hear reaching her climax and felt the way her pussy clenched around his dick once she was there, he wouldn’t be able to hold back either. just like any other time however, rafe always gave in, watching your eyes roll to the back of your head, and hearing all of the beautiful sounds coming out of your mouth as you came. 

[wafflepatterns]

Meet new sewing pattern <Komugi> Over shirt

A new item is just published from Waffle Patterns. Meet Over shirt <Komugi> sewing pattern, a work wear style over shirt with many functional pockets. Depending on your fabric and design choice, it will be a work shirt, uniform-like service shirt or outdoor style shirt jacket. You can make just a simple shirt as well.

<design options>

View A features a hidden button stand front opening + patch side pockets + an inside pocket. The patch side pockets are 2 types ; side opening or layered type. The cuff is no-opening design.

View B has a normal button stand + seam pocket + back bent and cuff opening.

The chest pocket design has 2 options, layer type or zipper pocket.

View A is intended as non-scratch design suitable for a work shirt especially if you are working on fragile things. View B can be made as a more outdoor-like shirt jacket with details like cuff openings or a vent. But of course you can choose and mix the options as you like!

The khaki sample in the photos features viewA, and the red plaid one is view B. The caramel brown one has mixed features.

My favourite feature is the sleeve patches. Adding compliment textures/colours is really fun! But you can sew without them, too.

Please make your creative style by mixing your favourite details.

<fabric recommendation>

The pattern is drafted for woven fabrics. Light-medium weight durable shirt fabrics are recommended. like corduroy, duck, twill, denim, linen, flannel, light wool or canvas etc.

It is not impossible to use very light drapery fabric, but those are not suitable for some details like patch pockets or vent.

Also, some very thick/stiff fabrics might not work well for details like pockets with facing. In that case, please consider using other lighter fabrics partly like the inside yoke, facing, or pocket parts.

Please choose a suitable one for your design intension.

For the caramel brown sample in the photos, I used cotton canvas. Suitable for work shirts and very easy to handle. The contrast fabric used for the sleeve patch and pocket layer is faux suede.

If you want very durable patches, leather or rubber-mixed fabrics are used for professional work apparel. But for general daily usage, like mine, design oriented choice like nice compliment colours or textures will be enough. Using leftover or old clothes is a fun choice, too.

The khaki sample is cotton ripstop. This one is also very suitable for work wear. The patch part is mixed twill.

The red plaid one is light wool backed fleece. I backed all the pieces with fleece except the folded parts like pocket openings or hem.

I bought all those fabrics from my local fabric market, but most of them are from years ago. I wanted to share where I bought them, but I actually forgot all.

I think light water repellent or windproof fabrics are nice functional options, too.

<Size>

The shirt is drafted regular fit.

I made on size bigger the red plaid sample because I wanted to wear this as a jacket. Also because the fabric gets thicker with fleece backing.

The caramel brown and khaki samples were made with just fit size.

<Other material>

If you attach the hidden button stand design, it is better to use flat and thin buttons for clean look opening.

*********************

The sewing pattern includes 18 pages of instructions and all the sewing processes are described with detailed illustrations. The pattern files are available for both home printers (A4 or US letter) and copyshop(A0 format).

You can check other photos of this model on my Flickr page.

The over shirt -Komugi- (size 32 - 54) PDF sewing pattern is available here. Also in the Etsy shop.

Special discount price until 13th Mar 2024 (CET) with other popular patterns. No discount code is needed! The sale page is here.

*****  Special offer for Paper pattern and free shipping Paper pattern + PDF option is available limited time. *The paper includes only the pattern, please print out the instruction by yourself or read it with your tablet or PC.  The PDF + Paper listing page is here.

Enjoy your sewing!

(Japanese post here 日本語ポストはこちら).

**********************

follow me!  Instagram /// Facebook /// Shop /// Pinterest /// Newsletter

[putschki1969]

Hello dear Sarah, I hope you are well, I want to ask you a question since you are very expert on the subject, When kalafina existed (it hurts to say that😭) I was a teenager I couldn't buy their merchandise now that I can I want to know if I buy something from them, do they still make a profit or not?My friend says not anymore, if I want to support them, I better buy their materials as soloists. Please give me some advice.

Hello there!

I am so, so sorry! This reply is long overdue. I had this in my drafts for way too long. These days, I've really been struggling with summer fatigue and can't get motivated to do anything except the bare minimum. As a result, lots of asks have remained unanswered in my inbox/drafts.

Without further ado, let's get to your question〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Disclaimer: Take everything you read here with a grain of salt. Even though I would consider myself to be quite knowledgeable on the matter, I don't have all the facts.

I think your friend is correct. If you are buying Kalafina releases (CDs, DVDs/BDs/etc) or merchandise (live goods etc) right now, it is very unlikely that the girls will profit from it.

The way the Japanese entertainment industry works, idols/singers often don't have any rights to their music (especially in a case like this where they don't have an active part in the creative process). From what we know, the members of Kalafina were most likely managed in a very common and traditional "employment dynamic" with their talent agency "Space Craft" , meaning that after the label (Sony/SACRA MUSIC) got its sizeable share, the agency basically pocketed all remaining earnings from Kalafina's activities and then distributed a contractually agreed upon percentage to the members in the form of a monthly salary. As the creative force behind everything, I would assume that Yuki Kajiura probably had a more favourable arrangement with Space Craft along the lines of a client <=> management relationship and therefore received earnings directly with a certain percentage going to the agency but I'm only speculating here. Considering the amounts of money that went to the label, the agency and Yuki Kajiura, it is likely that the girls received a quite meager share compared to everyone else involved. Not saying they weren't paid decently, it was obviously more than enough to allow all three of them to live comfortably (or luxuriously in Keiko's case - keep in mind tho that her family is well-off) but certainly nothing too crazy.

After leaving Space Craft, I very much doubt that Keiko and Hikaru would have financial gains from any Kalafina-related sales. Wakana on the other hand might profit indirectly from such purchases because she's still signed up with Space Craft. Some official Kalafina merch is still available in the Space Craft online store so if you buy anything from there, the money would obviously go to the agency. All other merchandise items that are floating around online or in stores are almost certainly second-hand goods so no profit is made except by the seller/thrift shop. As for music releases from official shops or distribution partners, I'm actually not sure if Space Craft would still receive a cut from that. I guess it depends on their arrangement with the label. I definitely wouldn't rule it out. (YK is probably getting something).

Long story short, if you want to support the girls, the best option currently is to buy their solo stuff. However, that doesn't mean that you should give up on your dream to buy Kalafina releases and merch. Even if the group is disbanded, it is a good thing to signal that there is still demand for them. Also, if you ask me, nothing feels better than to own physical merch/releases. My Kalafina shrine is one of my biggest sources of happiness and pride.

[cecelianonymous22]

Featured Items for Sale!

Custom Bracelets and Playlists

On my Etsy, you can order custom Kandi and bracelets, or a carefully handmade playlist based on your favorite blorbo, ship, fandom inside joke, or whatever you please!

Playlists are $0.50 for 50 songs, and when your order is completed, you get a personalized Spotify code and a collaboration link so you can add or remove whatever songs you want! They're by far the most popular on my shop currently.

Meanwhile, I have three types of bracelets available: Kandi, standard bracelets, and charm bracelets! (In order from left to right). Kandi is $5, bracelets are $15, and charm bracelets are $13.

Pins

Above are my flower pins (each with a unique background color!), recycled Pokemon card pins, and recycled cardstock pins. The first set are original designs printed and pressed with my own button press. The other two are common Pokemon Cards and old greeting cards cut and pressed into pins to give them a new life and a new shiny look! The greeting card pins also have some unique texturing on them. Any remaining excesses are stored away in a box to be turned into paper at a later date.

All pins are $1.

You can also get any flower turned into various items like stickers, phone cases, coasters, and clothing on my Redbubble!

I Loaf You Stickers (and pin) <3

Just a simple little silly sticker I made! The outline of the bread was traced over a photo I took at a steakhouse on my birthday and sent to my boyfriend. I thought it would be kinda funny, and something I would totally get for myself.

A 1 inch sticker is $0.45, a 3 inch sticker is $1.00, a 5 inch sticker is $2.10, a 7 inch sticker is $5, and as always, the pin button variant is $1.

Cottagecore Arcade Carpet Pattern

Have you ever dreamed of a perfect mix of cottagecore and nostalgic arcade carpets? Probably not! I never have either, but I made this anyway because I thought it was a fun idea. If you'd like this pattern on something like a pin, bandana, laptop case, blanket, bag, and so much more, you can head over to the Redbubble listing to get your desired item! Or, if you'd like to buy the pattern itself for $35 to use for yourself (with credit!!), you can check out the Etsy listing.

[babacontainsmultitudes]

So you wanna sell your art on Redbubble but you don't know how?

(Or, I meant to write this months ago but better late than never lol)

OKAY okay. I have a bunch of friends as well as mutuals who have lovely lovely art and have considered selling it online (specifically on Redbubble lol that's what's being covered today anyways) but don't really have any clue how RB works, if it's right for them, or what to expect. SO I'M HERE TO GUIDE Y'ALL THROUGH ALL THE BASICS and hopefully, if I've done my job right, this tutorial will help you set up your RB shop and start selling your art online (or help you decide that RB isn't for you lol).

Table of Contents:

What the heck is RedBubble and should I use it?

How to make your account and set up payment

How to add a new work

Pricing? Markup?

Extra: Checking sales and payment history

Extra: Taxes and copyright, in case that scares you.

Extra: The Partner Program (or how to make "officially licensed" fanart)

What the heck is RedBubble and should I use it?

>> RedBubble is a site that allows you to upload your artwork and sell it on quite a variety of different products.

>> The main benefit of using RedBubble, aside from reach and visibility, is that RB handles *everything* when it comes to the manufacturing and shipment of your product. You are literally not responsible for anything other than making the art, uploading it, and deciding how you want it to look on different products. If there is any kind of problem with material quality or delivery (though in my experience they're pretty good with both of those things), it's not your responsibility to correct!

>> RedBubble does not charge you to sell on their site, but they do set a base price for all products to cover manufacturing and to ensure that they make some level of profit for each sale. We'll look into the specifics of this in a later section when discussing pricing and markup, but it would be considered pretty standard, for example, for an item to cost $20 and you to make $4-$5 upon making a sale.

>> At the end of the day, whether or not RB is right for you largely depends on whether or not you feel their pricing and payment is fair, and whether their available products correspond to what you wish to sell.

Okay, so how do I get started?

Well first you're gonna need an account!

>> Head over to the RedBubble main page and click "Sign Up"

>> Select "Artist Signup"

>> Fill in your email, shop name (this is your username also), and password

>> Click "Sign Up"

>> You will be brought to this dashboard page:

>> We will discuss creating products in the next section. Everything under "Set Up Shop" is optional and I'll let you explore that on your own so we can focus on the essentials. That just leaves... Getting paid!

>> First, check the email you used to confirm your email address. If you didn't receive an email to confirm your email address, don't worry, we can resend the form- keep going with the steps for now.

>> Then, under "Get Paid", click "Add your name & address". Note that all of the options in the "Get Paid" section actually lead to the same form, but selecting this option starts us near the top.

>> Fill out all the fields on this page. If you didn't receive the email to confirm your email address, click on this button:

Then check your email again.

>> Note when choosing your payment method: if you are from Canada, like me, then paypal is your only option. Same for parts of Europe that aren't in the UK. Otherwise, you also have bank transfer options:

>> Once you've finished filling in everything on this page, click "Save Changes" at the bottom and... That's it! Now you can get paid :)

**Note: I believe RB still requires you to make a minimum amount of money before they do a transfer (for me in Canada I believe it's $20 CAD?), so do keep that in mind!

>> Payments are made to your account monthly, generally on the same day every month (assuming you've made profits!).

How to add a new work

So you've made your account, fantastic. Now you're ready to actually add your works to RB and make them available for purchase to the wider public! To demonstrate the process, we're gonna use our pal Nicky here (who was a gift from my lovely friend @llumimoon) and pretend that we want to upload him:

Ain't he a doll? Anyways, let's begin.

>> Hover your mouse over your pfp in the top right corner to make this drop down menu appear:

>> Click on "Add New Work"

**On a new account with nothing uploaded, this will look a bit different. instead choose "Sell Your Art" from this dropdown menu, then "Add New Work" from the top right corner of the same dashboard page from earlier.

>> Click on "Upload New Work" (and note the file type and resolution requirements at the bottom. I always stick with PNGs, but in theory JPEG or GIF works as well.)

>> Select the file of the image you want to upload. In our case, that's Nicky.

>> Now write a title for your work, tags, and a description if you want. The tagging system is how people will actually find your work, it works a lot like Tumblr's! Try to choose things that are relevant to whatever your piece is. If you're uploading fandom-related art and aren't sure what tags are used for your fandom on RB, try looking some up and seeing what generates the most relevant results!

>> You may have noticed the "background color" section right below Nicky. This sets the default background color for your piece on different products. We're gonna keep this as the default white here, and I'll show you how to adjust this for individual products very soon.

>> Scroll down. This is where we decide what products we want this design to be available on and how we want Nicky to look on each thing we've enabled.

For example, if I were actually selling Nicky here (if that wasn't clear obviously I'm not actually selling my friend's art lol don't do that ofc) I would definitely want people to be able to buy him as a little sticker :]

>> In this case, "Stickers & Magnets" have been enabled by default. If you wanted to disable them, you would simply click that little "Enabled" button. Similarly, if we want to enable a product type that is disabled, just click that same button (which will be grey rather than green and say "disabled").

>> If a product is disabled and you are being prevented from enabling it, that's because the dimensions of your image are too small for the product in question! You'll wanna resize your image (preferably in a manner that retains its resolution of course) and come back.

>> Hm. Let's use the hats here as an example of how we might make edits to the layout of a specific product.

He's kind of cut off, as you can see actually that's pretty in-character, and I think I want this hat to be pink rather than this default beige-looking color.

>> Click on "Edit"

So, the first thing I'm gonna do here is use that "Scale Image" slider to scale him down a bit. I'm also gonna click the image and drag him up a bit to re-center him.

Next, I'm gonna pick from one of the default colors and choose the pink one.

>> Notice the two arrows beside the words "Bucket Hat"? This lets me go through the different types of hats available and change the background/base color for each of those, like the dad hat:

>> Before we apply our changes, click that little gear icon right under the pencil icon

>> This lets us adjust the markup price for each individual hat. It is 20% by default. Changing the markup percentage affects how much you will make off of a sale, as well as how much your product will cost. More on that in the next section!

>> Click "Apply Changes"

The "dad hat" was the last hat I had selected (when setting its color), so the display has changed to show that one in the preview. Here's our bucket hat from before:

Nice!

>> The specifics of how you can adjust your design will vary depending on the product. With pillows & totes, for example, the editing menu looks like this:

Using the "Choose pattern" option, I can make the Nicky image repeat as a pattern like so:

(note that I also scaled the image down a bit here too).

>> One last thing. See that "Replace Image" button near the top?

You can use this when you want to use a different version of your image altogether for a specific product.

>> That's the gist! Play around with the settings for each item as you see fit. You can always edit them again later.

>> Scroll down. Select up to 2 relevant media types.

I'm pretty sure this affects search results when users choose specific filters, but tbh otherwise I don't think it's all too important.

>> Let's look at what remains.

>> I have the "Who can view this work?" section set to "Only You"- THIS IS SO I CAN FINISH THE STEPS HERE AND SAVE THE WORK WITHOUT ACTUALLY MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. In practice, you'd only use this option if you wanted to buy your own work on something but didn't want other people to be able to see or buy it. Otherwise, you're always gonna choose "Anybody (public)".

>> Collections can be created to organize the pieces in your shop (for example, by fandom), but we won't cover the specifics of how to do that here.

>> Set whether or not your work contains "mature content".

>> If you want, you can set which product shows up in the preview for your work when people view your shop. If you think your piece looks especially nice on a mug, for example, you can make sure that's what people see first.

>> Finally, agree to RedBubble's User Agreement (read that little blurble, since that's basically all you generally need to care about when it comes to what you can and can't sell on RB, but more on that later).

>> Click "Save Work" and voila! Your piece is now available in your shop, and can be found in the search results of whatever tags you left on it (this may take a few minutes to take effect).

>> If you want to check out your design in your shop, navigate to your pfp and click "View shop"

>> Don't fret if the design doesn't appear in your shop right away! Again, this can take several minutes.

>> To edit your design again (and to view/purchase privately uploaded designs like Nicky here), click the "Manage Portfolio" option instead:

>> Here is Nicky as he appears in my portfolio (again, your portfolio and your shop are different things- Nicky will not appear in my shop at all because he is set to "private")

>> You can click that little gear icon to do a variety of things, like return to the editing menu from earlier. The three icons below Nicky refer to the amount of comments, sales, and likes your design has received in total.

>> Click on your design either from your shop page or your portfolio page. Wow! Your cool art is now available on all the products you enabled. Be sure to look through them and make sure that everything is to your liking!

Pricing? Markup? What's that about?

Well good tumblr user, RB handles everything regarding the production (and shipping) of your product, which means that they set a base (minimum) price for every kind of product to account for materials and production, and of course make some amount of profit themselves. The *markup* is a percentage that you the artist set (see the previous section on how to do so), and will determine how much you actually make off of a sale. Note that increasing the markup price means that your product will increase in price as well!

>> An Example (using hypothetical but more or less realistic numbers):

Let's say that the base price (0% markup, i.e. no profit for you) of a phone case on RB is $15. You set the markup to 30%. 30% of 15 is 4.5, so the public price is increased to $19.5, and if anyone purchases this phone case with your design on it, you will make $4.5.

And that's really the gist! Ultimately the markup price is up to you and what you feel is reasonable, though RB sets it to 20% by default.

Extra: Checking sales and payment history

Eheh, unfortunately I've reached the image limit for this post but:

To check your sales:

>> Click on your pfp

>> Click "Account Settings"

>> Under "Artist Tools" (on the left side), click "Sales History"

To check your payment history:

>> From the same "Artist Tools" menu (see above), click "Payment History"

Extra: Taxes and copyright, in case that scares you.

>> Do I need to report the income I make on RB when I do my taxes?

Yup! But dw, it isn't anything special. I mean, I'm not here to do your taxes for you, but money you make on Redbubble counts as "Self-Employment Income", same as if you sold your art just about anywhere else really!

>> So what am I actually allowed to sell on Redbubble? Is fanart okay?

Generally speaking... Yes! Obviously work should be your own, and it should not contain any company logos or names that you don't have the right to, nor photos of actual people unless you have their explicit permission.

>> Hm, okay, but what if I *do* accidentally sell something that isn't allowed?

In most cases, it'll just get taken down 👍. And no, you won't be asked to pay back any profits you made off the work in the meantime.

**A more extreme case: Story time. So, years ago a friend of mine uploaded some official Rick and Morty art that he forgot to set to "private". Overnight he made... Let's just say he made quite a bit of money. RB responded by taking down the work and banning his IP address, effectively preventing him from ever selling on the site again. But they still let him keep the money he made, and he didn't get into any actual trouble outside of that. What I'm saying is, even if you really fuck up, it'll be alright. And again, this was a pretty extreme scenario.

***Note: if your work falls under one of the brands in Redbubble's "Partner Program" (see the next section), it will be temporarily removed from the search results and your shop while it undergoes review. So don't panic if you see your fanart suddenly disappear from your shop!

Extra: The Partner Program (or how to make "officially licensed" fanart)

Very briefly, Redbubble has their partner program, which I won't explain in full detail here, but basically it means that if you upload a work and tag it as one of these brands, it will be inspected for review and, upon passing that brand's guidelines, will be considered "officially licensed" merch for that brand. Just felt worth mentioning!

So that's really the gist folks! There's certainly much more to play around with when it comes to RB, but that's all you need to know to get started! Hopefully this was useful? Hopefully lol. In any case, good luck out there!

[desertdollranch]

My Great Big List of Gray-Market American Girl Goodies!

If you're trying to build your American Girl doll's collection of clothes and accessories, and if you're also intimidated by the high prices of secondhand stuff, this post is for you! I've compiled here a list of things for sale from the gray market.

What "gray market" means is that some factories in China that previously made products for American Girl brand, continue making them for a while after American Girl stops ordering them. The factory workers then sell these things on eBay, at a huge discount.

I've bought gray market stuff before, and I've seen no difference in the quality or similarity to the stuff I've gotten from AG. It does take a little longer to arrive from China, but I've not yet had anything lost in the mail. So keep that in mind that there is a small risk of not receiving anything.

Items also come and go in availability. So something could be available for a few weeks and then stop production, and you've lost your chance to buy it, so definitely don't delay too long if you find something you like.

This is by no means a complete list. What I do recommend doing, if you're looking for something specific, is to go to the seller's profile and see what other American Girl products they're selling. There's a lot more out there than what I tracked down.

Felicity's BeForever straw hat, fichu, mob cap, necklace Caring for Baby set's 8-inch baby only Hearing aids Various foods Josefina's Navidad dress Kaya's bead necklace Courtney's bangle bracelets Kit's photographer outfit Marie-Grace's fan Blaire's tote bag and tablet Coffee shop cups Gabriela's bag and snacks Courtney's lunchbox and partial lunch foods Courtney's lunchbox only Bitty Baby's bottles Samantha's painting set Luciana's wig, meet boots, and star necklace Nanea's meet accesories Birthday celebration set Joss wig Molly's BeForever red beret and red purse Melody's stuffed elephant (set of 3) Chrissa and Nellie wigs

And this listing here has a huge list of items available:

[percyscart]

Hello! I wanted to say that I really love your stories and that they bring me so much joy!

Your works have been so much of an inspiration for me to do what I do and I really want to say thank you for that.

I'd like to ask, what advice would you give for new artists who are interested in opening their own art shop one day?

Aww, I’m really happy and honoured to hear that!

As for advice, here are some things I would have told myself when I was starting, everything is subjective and depends on the individual so do take it with a pinch of salt!

1. Start small!

It’s tempting to make large quantity orders because some manufacturers provide bigger discounts, but it’s very risky at the beginning because you don’t know what will sell. I personally rather sell out than have large stock that takes ages to sell preventing me from trying new things since you learn and change a lot at the start!

2. Draw what you love, not what is trendy or popular (eg drawing characters/relationships you love vs popular characters)

Personally, things that I draw out of love and inspiration are those that not only am I more proud of, but also sells better. If you’re passionate about it, it’s likely there’s people out there who are as passionate, and that’s where you find your niche and audience. Additionally, popular characters will most likely have well-known artists that draw for them already, so it’s difficult to breakthrough if you’re not passionate about it. If what you love overlaps with what’s trendy/popular, that’s fine!

3. Use social media wisely!

It’s the most useful but tiring tool to use. If people don’t see your stuff, they won’t know it’s out there, but don’t be too focused on numbers! Low numbers does not mean rejection, high numbers do not mean success. I’ve had plenty of reels/tiktoks with have high views and engagement that do not reflect the sales number. Don’t take data personally, consider it more as food for thought.

“why did this artwork not resonate with people? how can i improve it/showcase it better?” “why did this artwork (yours or others) resonate with people? how can i emulate this more?”

On the same note, photos/videos of your products always need to have good lighting! Sun and your phone camera is enough to start with. I recently enjoy taking photos holding my stuff against greenery.

These are some smaller thoughts:

- Try to post tiktoks only after your items are available to order (unless you’re just gauging market). I’ve had a video go viral (1m+ views) long before it was available online and when I did release it online, most people didn’t see it because that’s just how tiktok algorithm works :’) your followers are less likely to see your stuff, compared to twt/insta, imo.

- Many of my first customers became returning customers, so do ensure you treat your packages with care so they have a good experience! (i personally prepare thank you cards hehe)

- Keep packaging minimal so they are lighter and less waste. Additionally, I’ve started using less flashy packaging (brown instead of coloured) because I’ve heard coloured ones may be at risk of theft (unconfirmed). I keep decorative packaging inside only.

All the best to your endeavors!

[trivialbob]

I'm happy over a simple shirt I bought yesterday.

Feeling a need to walk, but tired of being cold, I went to the Mall of America. Some say it's about a mile to walk one loop inside the mall. After I strolled all three main levels my Garmin came up with 2.6 miles. It's a little wonky using the GPS indoors, so I'm not making any guarantees.

People watching is excellent. This has got to be the most diverse place in Minnesota. I heard English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian (?), Japanese, and more. People are in all shapes, sizes, political persuasions, gender identities, colors, attitudes, and manner of dress. The huge mall is next to the airport, and Minnesota doesn't charge sales tax on clothes, so I've heard the place gets plenty of out of state shoppers.

Does your bingo card have an ex football player with purple hair? Wait, is that the ex football player with purple hair in a wheelchair or the ex football player with purple hair shuffling along in a silky track suit? How about a cute young mom with three adorable children? Well, yes, but do you want the one with three girls, or three boys, or two girls and one boy? Because they are all there.

I like that I didn't see any of those silly, virtue signalling signs declaring All Are Welcome Here or We Respect All People. Those signs are not necessary because it just happens. All these different people all got along without placards telling them to.

Sure, I wanted to holler at a parent with a triple stroller (filled with three adorable children, two boys and one girl - BINGO!). She had stopped in the middle of a busy hallway to read her phone, causing chaos like Prius dawdling in the left lane of a busy highway.

But I wiggled around them quietly, as did other walkers and shoppers, and went on my way. Also I really can't complain because 25 years ago I was a parent with a double stroller (reasonably looking dad, two boys), taking winter walks there with my young kids. Surely I had been in someone's way.

At Old Navy I decided to go inside. Prices at my once-beloved LL Bean have exited my comfort zone. I also wasn't pleased with the quality of the last three items I purchased there. Eddie Bauer prices are high too ($85 for jeans? Please!) but EB at least has perennial steep discounts. Though I rarely shop Old Navy, I've always had a good experience there.

This long-sleeve tech shirt was marked at $22 (not bad) and just $11.50 (whoo hoo!) after the always-available Old Navy sale price. It was sort of a two-for-one in that I love how it looks and feels AND I didn't spend much money. I'll be back.

All my other tech shirts are from races. They're comfortable for exercising or sleeping on cold nights, but I'm not a fan of the graphics on some of them. Displaying "2016 Twin Cities Marathon" is okay with me, but I don't care for the word "Finisher" on the shirts. It looks odd to me, no better than "Participant" or "I did this." At least that one didn't have "Finished in 16,422nd Place."

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT ECOMMERCE NEWS (INCLUDING ETSY), AUGUST 2024

Hello, and welcome to my very last Ecommerce News update here on Tumblr.

After today, these reports will now be found at least twice a week on my Patreon, available to all paid members. See more about this change here on my website blog: https://www.cindylouwho2.com/blog/2024/8/12/a-new-way-to-get-ecommerce-news-and-help-welcome-to-my-patreon-page

Don't worry! I will still be posting some short pieces here on Tumblr (as well as some free pieces on my Patreon, plus longer posts on my website blog). However, the news updates and some other posts will be moving to Patreon permanently.

Please follow me there! https://www.patreon.com/CindyLouWho2

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

Etsy has banned gift certificates/cards sold by individual shops, as of Sept 15. Only Etsy Gift Cards are now allowed. The second quarter report press release says they plan on selling Etsy Gift Cards through third parties, but no official word on how and when yet.

Many Amazon Handmade sellers were unable to list new items after a site update on July 31 [post by me on LinkedIn]. While Amazon told sellers to apply for an exemption from the Product ID requirement, some report that is not working, or that they do not have the option to apply for one. 

Reminder that Canadian Etsy shops will be charged a 1.15% Regulatory Operating fee on the item price and shipping cost as of August 15. [I’ve set a bunch of things to expire. If Etsy isn’t profitable enough to pay its taxes, maybe they should consider cutting executive pay instead of squeezing microbusinesses even more.]

ETSY NEWS 

Etsy has updated its Privacy Policy, to take effect August 31. Changes include mention of biometric data. Note that some parts of the policy are screenshots, and therefore not easily searchable nor accessible to screen readers - I am not sure how they can get away with that. I used the Wayback Machine to do a comparison of the parts that software can actually read.   There’s also a new US regional privacy policy, which currently covers laws in several states.  

Etsy is promoting a Labour Day sale August 21-September 2, and has already set up the "Cyber Savings Sale" (November 18-December 3) for Cyber Week. You can schedule the official sales through links in the announcement.

Forbes covered Etsy’s sex toy ban [soft paywall; not safe for work photos]. To no one's surprise, plenty of the banned items are still found on site, including toys and vintage Playboy magazines. 

Etsy is accused of allowing shops based in “illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory” and profiting off of them. Etsy’s response: "[W]e have shared this information internally with the appropriate teams for review."

Etsy's promised program for buyers - Etsy Insider - will be rolling out as invite-only beta in September. It's a paid membership for US buyers and includes:

Free US domestic shipping on millions of items

A birthday bonus

Limited edition annual gift, designed by an Etsy seller

First access to special discounts and select merchandise

While some of the "special discounts" are paid by sellers, that is a voluntary program shops can sign up for here. That form also allows you to sign up to offer new items to Etsy Insiders first - “drops” - which does not involve offering discounts. Etsy has done these sorts of "offers" in the past, and I believe they have already reached out to sellers for the first round of offers in September (based on some emails I have received from shop owners).

You can now sign up for “Etsy Up”, the virtual sellers conference scheduled for September 10. However, despite saying they have announced “our agenda”, all that is provided is a vague set of topics (other than the fact they will be announcing the Etsy Design Awards Finalists). It makes me wonder if there are official Etsy announcements coming soon that they don’t want to reveal too early by posting the real agenda. If yes, around August 15 is a good bet, given that  Etsy’s Search Analytics will end that day, and many new policies kick in on September 15, just one month later.

The Etsy app is showing rectangular listing images in search for some visitors, but it appears to be a test [Reddit thread with screenshot]. I wouldn’t change anything at this time. 

No, Etsy has not replaced your listing tags. I covered that topic here on LinkedIn. 

I wrote about the new Listing Image Requirement policy and the email Etsy sent to some sellers on Monday July 29. [post by me on Patreon] And not everyone is being fooled by Etsy’s new Creativity Standards, but some acknowledge it will be difficult for Etsy to turn away factory-made goods at this point. [Disclosure: I am quoted in that article]

ECOMMERCE NEWS (minus social media)

Amazon

Amazon’s second quarter revenue was below expectations, and the company predicts nothing better in the third quarter. 

In a surprising change, Amazon has decided to cancel overage fees for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) inventory storage, retroactive to July 1. 

Canadian Amazon sellers will be subject to a new digital services fee as of October 1. This is due to Canada’s new digital services tax. 

In a case that may have an impact on other larger ecommerce sites, a court ruled that Amazon is responsible for recalls of products sold through Amazon, including through “Fulfilled By Amazon”. 

US Amazon shoppers can now link their Pinterest and TikTok accounts to Amazon to be able to buy directly from Amazon ads on social media. This is already available on Facebook, Instagram and Snap. 

Amazon is changing its refund policy for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) users: if sellers do not receive an automatic reimbursement for loss, damage and returns, they will now only have 60 days to apply for one.  A lot of ecommerce experts think Amazon is making a mistake in setting up a China to US section on the site.

eBay

eBay second quarter revenue and profit was higher than expected, but the third quarter projections are low.  

The eBay app has taken a lot of flack for inserting ads between each item in a purchase history. 

Poshmark

As marketplaces popular for pre-owned items compete for the best new stock, Poshmark is offering “rewards” for listing at least 1 item a week. 

Shopify

Shopify had a better-than-expected second quarter, and expects a decent third quarter as well. Getting larger businesses to use Shopify has helped the tech company, but I still wonder how that affects the small and micro businesses who used to be the target market.

Walmart

The Walmart Marketplace has added Chile as its fourth country, after the US, Canada and Mexico. 

All Other Marketplaces

Hundreds of business owners who sell on Temu held a protest at the marketplace headquarters on July 29. Fines for returns are one cited issue. 

Payment Processing

Credit cards issued by Chase in the US will no longer allow third-party buy-now-pay-later purchases, as of October 10. Conveniently, they offer their own option, Chase Pay Over Time. PayPal has expanded the quicker checkout solution Fastlane to all US businesses, which fills in customer information without a log in.

[torque-witch]

Okay once again it is crunch time! Taxes are due on the 18th and I desperately need some help.

I only had 14k worth of taxable income from last year, so you can imagine why I don’t have any savings - but self employment tax is still very high regardless of your income threshold.

I currently will owe about $1050 in total for taxes + fees.

My husband pays for the bulk of our bills right now and even tho his income was triple mine, it didn’t make that big of a dent into reducing our tax payment overall. Neither of us have savings. I do also have a part time job now, but it only barely if at all covers the bills. Etsy and art sales in general have been very down because we are all struggling with inflation, but I would still appreciate any orders in the meantime.

The sale is 30% off finished statues (this may reduce some by $100), and 15% everything else above $20 excluding custom crochet work. The shop may be closed on the 15th bc that is when the Akron Punk Rock Flea Market is. Klarna is available for $50+. I don’t really want to process orders through Venmo unless it’s a pre-made item as those are harder to keep track of.

Because of this and other reasons, I cannot do custom requests except for what is listed in the shop. I cannot process orders this week so that I can market prep either, so please expect delays. I already have a few custom orders on backlogs, so I can’t accept more.

I do also have a handful of Squishmallows in storage that I’d like to sell, so dm me for info.

Other than that if you don’t want to purchase anything but do want to contribute in some way -

Venmo - @ torquewitch (last four of my phone is 3759)

CashApp - $TorqueWitch

PayPal ONLY if you choose friends and family because they WILL hold sales money for 1-3 months. dukesofnapa@gmail.com

Please share if you can! I know that everyone has been struggling, but anything helps. Hopefully since I do have a part time job this year, things will stay relatively even after this last hurdle.

And thank you so much for your continued support, however you are able to! This is such an awkward year trying to rebuild and stay afloat and juggle new situations and opportunities. I appreciate just being heard.

If you have any questions please feel free to dm me or message me on Etsy!

Death’s Head Divination

[rayshippouuchiha]

As of now I've been in the US for close to six months. When I first came here I was determined to not be judgemental. Whatever social media says you can't generalise any country. And I was right! I've met some amazing people here. I've met some really bad ones too. Shout-out to that white lady who called me a devil worshipper for saying I was not Christian like it was the Witch Trails era or that man in the grocery store who called me ch**k. However these are the outliers of my personal experience. But I've to say even after all that the things I found truly incomprehensible about the US is the little things. Why aren't the prices and other tax details printed on the back of the product? Why is your bread so fucking nasty? Why are the cashiers always standing? Why are the baby care things locked up in some supermarkets? Why does the state not do your taxes for you? Why is customer service so pushy and why do they all have to act cheerful?

And most of all, why do the vast majority of Americans I've met think vegetarian food doesn't taste good?

Yeah the US is a large and varied place.

As for some of your questions? I can answer them from my personal point of view which will, more than likely, leave out some nuance and deep-diving detail about the political and economical state of the country. Plus things can obviously change depending on where you live.

Why aren't the prices and other tax details printed on the back of the product? Prices and Sales taxes aren't printed on products because there's no set federal sales tax. So not only will a product's price vary depending on the store you shop in but the sales tax will be different depending on the state you're shopping in.

Why is your bread so fucking nasty? Because it's sweeter. They often add sugar to packaged bread to keep it fresh and soft so it's sweeter than bread outside of the US.

Why are the cashiers always standing? Depending on who you ask they'll say our cashiers stand because they bag items. But it's also this toxic work culture that's a huge part of the US where things like sitting while working is meant for people with "good jobs" like office workers. A cashier sitting in the US would/could be called "lazy" and companies would rather maintain a certain image than provide things for their workers to make their lives and jobs easier.

Why are the baby care things locked up in some supermarkets? To prevent shoplifting. Companies would rather lock things up to prevent them from losing what's essentially pocket change for them than work on lowering prices.

Why does the state not do your taxes for you? Stupidity and the US in general has a complicated tax system.

Why is customer service so pushy and why do they all have to act cheerful? The cheerfulness is normally because the employer makes it clear they have to present a positive face to customers. And there's also the fact that you're dealing with the public and a lot of people will take offense if they think you're not eager to serve them. Handling a customer quickly and getting them off the line so you can move onto another customer is often the goal. Customer service workers are generally meant to protect the company not the customer.

And most of all, why do the vast majority of Americans I've met think vegetarian food doesn't taste good? In my area a lot of that can be attributed to true vegetarian food tending to be either unavailable or overpriced. Cost of fruits and vegetables are high, there are a lot of places where fresh food not only isn't affordable it's just not available. And there are a lot of people who say vegetarian food is bad because they were turned off by the often overcooked, under-seasoned, and bland vegetable dishes a lot of them got as kids and teenagers both in and out of school.